Mark Kelly
Guide, Educator, Athlete
contact: mkelly@totalclimbing.com

Being very fortunate as a teenager to be introduced to the world of climbing by some legendary mentors, Mark was instilled early on with a deep respect for the mountains and the values of “mountain-life”. A strong belief that experiences are more valuable than possessions has led to travels all over the map seeking out those “special” experiences. A Colorado native, growing up in the front range Mark learned to climb 24 years ago, in places like Eldorado Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park, the places he now considers his “office” and now has the privilege of sharing his knowledge with new friends. As rock climbing progressed into alpine and ice climbing an introduction to back-country skiing was immanent, it did not take long for skiing to posses Mark’s attention.

Living the past twenty years with a steady diet of rock climbing all summer and ski mountaineering all winter has left Mark with a wealth of experiences to share with his clients. Alpine climbs in the Cascades, big-walls in Yosemite, Colorado ice, Utah rock, ski mountaineering in Europe or heli-skiing in Alaska, all of these experiences lead to a well rounded mountain sense and an ability to relate his experiences to your education.

With formal medical training from the Wilderness Medical Institute and National Ski Patrol, Mark is currently a Wilderness First Responder. Mark has also educated thousands of students in avalanche avoidance and rescue, He has completed level 1,2 and 3 avalanche courses with AIARE, AAI, NSP and Silverton Avalanche School, and is an AIARE L1 & L2 instructor. Recently Mark has been providing risk management for ski and snowboard videography and product testing and design for several outdoor manufacturers. Mark is currently an AMGA certified ski-mountaineering guide and is in pursuit of rock and alpine certification.  

Checkout Mark's ski guiding page <here>